Virginia House OKs voter ID bill

The Virginia House of Delegates passed a voter identification bill Wednesday, bringing Virginia one step closer to joining the ranks of states with strict photo ID requirements.

The legislation now heads to Gov. Bob McDonnell’s desk to be signed or vetoed. Assuming it’s cleared by the Justice Department under the Voting Rights Act, the plan would take effect in 2014 — before the 2014 midterms, but after Virginia’s gubernatorial and state assembly elections in November.

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Under the measure, voters would need to present a valid form of photo ID — such as a driver’s license or U.S. passport — to cast a ballot on Election Day. Voters who don’t have adequate ID could cast a provisional ballot and then bring the required identification to local election offices by the Friday after Election Day.

Democrats in the state Legislature are urging McDonnell to veto the bill. The governor hasn’t signaled which way he’ll go. Only one Democrat voted for the proposal.

The bill comes the year after Virginia passed legislation to increase the number of acceptable forms of identification for the 2012 election. Several – utility bills and paychecks with a valid Virginia address, for example — do not include a photo.

Only four states have strict photo ID laws that are currently in effect: Georgia, Indiana, Kansas and Tennessee. Four other states — Mississippi, Texas, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — have approved similar laws that are on hold either because of state-level court interventions or a lack of Justice Department approval.

A Quinnipiac poll released Thursday found that three-quarters of Virginia voters are in favor of a photo ID law. Only 23 percent of Virginians oppose such a law, the poll found.